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I use a patch that either folds over the base or rolls over it, leaving an 'eye' or a patch that ends flush with the base. I tried a patch that had a very small overhang but that seemed to leave a ring in the case mouth or chamber. With a case filler like wheat bran or wheat germ that did not happen.

Can you post some photo's so we can see what you are doing?

Rest In Peace My Son (01/06/1986 - 14/01/2014)

''Assume everything that moves is a human before identifying as otherwise''

Have had good results with .301 sized lead cast bullet , paper patched and after applying some Lee Lube sized to .309 . Shoot in a 308 Win at jacketed velocity. I wrap the paper over the base of the bullet. The paper comes off at about 20 yards down range. If the paper comes off in pieces at different distances the group Is all over the place at 100 yards, large groups.
The base should be covered in paper for and even paper coming off of the ballet at a single distance down rande.

Are you PC'ing and then Patching? I do one or the other. Never tried both at the same time. My patches rain confetti in front of my bench. Bullets are sized to bore or larger then patched to throat diameter. I wet patch to just past the first driving band and twist the end to a tail like a tootsie roll. After it dries I snip the tail then size with Lee case sizing lube. Makes a nice hard patch and the punch gives a perfect flat hard base.

"Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far."
~Theodore Roosevelt~

...............The above photo is 60 rounds of 577-450 for my MkIV Martini-Henry. The MkIV has a .472" groove. In the above photo are the rounds I'd use in our ranges' monthly 200 meter "Fun" silhuette matches. The slugs are the Lee 458-405F as cast using a soft scrap lead, and then wrapped with 20# bond. They are patched wet. The load is 38.0 grs of IMR3031 + Dacron and a cardwad under the slug. This load has no problem fetching the 200 meter ram. The patch ends up as a mass of confetti. In fact I've had guys giggle about all the 'Trash' that is expelled along with the slug

Our range is alongside the Santa Ana riverbed, and the berms are all river sand. I fired two of the above loads into the berm and then excavated them. They both looked like those fancy Easter eggs where you can look through a hole in one end and view a scene. In this case both slugs had the appearance of a coffee cup. Looking down inside you could see the base of the slug! You have a similar effect shooting .58 cal Minie' bullets into the berm.

The patches are not lubed with anything. Although I bought some 'Rooster Jacket' which is a dip type lube as I understand that it is supposed to work well on patched slugs. I have some loaded with that lube but haven't shot any yet to see if there is any difference. If a dry patch DOES anything to the barrel, the only thing I could conceive of happening would be a burnishing of the barrel's interior.

LEFT: These are 38-55's patched up for a Uberti Hi-Wall. RIGHT: You can see that the leade does press down on the paper upon chambering. BTW, if it looks like there is a bit of a flat spot on the ogive on the left side of the nose, there is. When holding the round up and trying to maneuver the camera I managed to drop the round on the floor of the shop I made myself a set of swage dies and use 1-20 tin-lead. It is important that the leade does NOT ruck up the leading edge ofthe patch, or all accuracy goes out the window.

...............Buckshot

Father Grand Caster watches over you my brother. Go now and pour yourself a hot one. May the Sacred Silver Stream be with you always

Proud former Shooters.Com Cast Bullet alumnus and plank owner.

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I have found that if you can remove the PP from one of your prepared PPCB with your fingernails, when fired at 3000+ fps and 200,000+ RPM the groove-cut PP will come completely off at muzzle-exit. Also, you will see a puff of confetti/disintegrated PP on the shot. Likewise, with the right 3000+ fps load, the group will be subMOA.

I have a .35 Rem that the patch does not come off reliably and accuracy is poor. I have been meaning to use a different patch material but I have not gotten around to it yet. I have another .510" wildcat that'll do 505gr @ 1850fps and it blows confetti off at the muzzle. The dead-soft alloy expands nicely in water:

I have a 700gr Accurate Mold that I can drive up to ~1400fps but that does not require patching.